Clutch plate



Sept. 6, A1938. D. E. GAMBLE CLUTCH PLATE Filed Fe'b. l5, 1935 Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLUTCH PLATE tion of Illinois Application February 15, 1935, Serial No. 6,624v

' 9 claims. (ci 19e-107) This inventiondrelates to friction clutches for automotive vehicles and it may also be used inl other friction clutches forwhich it is or may be adapted.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel clutch plate with a wide distribution of points of support for the friction facings which are adapted for cushioned engagement in the operation of the clutch.

Another object is to prevent movement of the separate cushion members of a cushioned clutch plate about the mountings therefor.

-A further object is to provide a cushioned clutc plate having at least one friction facing thereonl spaced from the disc wherein the spacing of the facing is provided by means which also cushion the facing in addition to separate cushion members provided for this purpose.

A stili further object is to provide a cushioned clutch plate having a friction facing spaced from the disc by means which also cushion the facing in addition to separate cushion members provided for this purpose wherein the plate is cushioned in stages during engagement thereof in operation of the clutch. In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the clutch plate showing one facing partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is' a sectional view on the line 2- Fig. 1: y

Fig. 3 is a sectionalvigw on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4`is a sectional view on'the line I-I of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 showing another forni of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the separate cushion members shown in Fig. 1.

selected for illustration comprises a disc 1 secured to a hub member l which is adapted to be mounted on a driven shaft of an automotive vehicle. The discis slotted through its periphery to form tongues 9 and supports I0 in alternating arrangement. Cushion members II, preferably made of a high 'grade'spring steel, are arranged on the supports on one side of the disc and a Referring to the drawing, the clutch plate ment with the supports and fastened thereto by the rivets I3. I prefer to employ a cylindrical curvature for .the cushion members I I, seey Fig. 6,

and to position the cushion members upon the disk, so that the axes of curvature are so arranged 5 relative to the disc and the facings that the contacting areas between the cushions, the face and the disc increase radially relativeto the disc as the plate is' compressed during engagement of the clutch. The tongues 9 are curved to dispose 10 the base and free end of each tongue in engagement` with the-facing I2 and the central portions of the tongues are spaced from the plane ofthe disc. A friction facing Il Vis fastened to the centrai portions of the tongues by rivets I5 so that 15 the facing Il is in engagement with the inner and outer ends of the cushion members II and is spaced from the plane of the disc. The cushion members are provided with lips I6 struck from the cushion members and bent from the convex 20 side thereof to engage the supports. iB in openings I 1 therein provided. 'I'he lips I6 and openings I'I-cooperate with the rivets I 3 to prevent rotative I movement of the cushion members about the rivets. 25

My invention provides a highly emcient cushion clutch plate wherein the facings are mountedv -parallelto each other and to the plane of the plate and remain so throughout engagement of the clutch plate in operation of the clutch. The 30 cushion members may be made of a higher grade of material than is required in the disc. The cushion members are rigidlygheld in operative position between the facings and are positively held against rotative movement about the mount- 35 ing therefor. The tongues are flexible becauseSof y their narrow cross-section at the base and provide anV efficient additional cushion to the cushion members -as well as a means for mounting the spaced friction facings on the clutch plate. 'I'he 40 each ofthe cushions. As the clutch plate is compressed, however, these lines of contact broaden in directions radial of the disc hub to increase the area of contact and support. This simple arrangement provides for the maintenance 55 of uniform yielding facing support circumferentially of the plate throughout the entire range of clutch plate operation, a feature that is highly desirable in the promotion of long life through uniform spacing Wear.

The provision of structurally independent cushf ion members of a high-grade spring steel, permits the manufacturer to predetermine the exact resistance to compression of the clutch plate assembly during manufacture without alteration or change in the structure or thickness of the clutch disc 1, and therefore, Without impairing the torque transmitting characteristics of the plate.

The tongues 9 may be curved, Fig. 5, so that only the base of each tongue is in engagement with the facing I2, and the free end of each tongue is bent back but not into the plane of the disc and remains on the side thereof toward which each tongue is bent at its base. This construction provides for a cushion which acts in stages. The rst stage of cushioning in engagement of the clutch constitutes the partialstraightening of the curve in the cushion members Il and the curve in each tongue between the base and rivet until the free end of each tongue engages the facing I2 at which time the second stage of cushioning commences and constitutes the further straightening of the cushion members Il and the further straightening of each tongue between the base and rivet plus the straightening between the rivet and the free end of each tongue. The second stage of cushioning continues until the cushion members H are completely straightened and the tongues 9 nearly so.

The facing I4 is supported by the central portion of each tongue and by the inner and outer edges of the cushion members. Wide distribution of points of support for each of the facings so that the clutch plate has a high degree of efficiency. i

While Ihave shown and described the invention in a particular type of clutch plate I do not mean thereby to restrict the invention to the embodiments illustrated nor to the type of clutch plate shown for it can be employed in many different embodiments and kinds of clutches and clutch plates with satisfactory results; and therefore I reserve the right to use the invention in any form and for any purpose for which it is or may be adapted within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

l. A clutch plate comprising a relatively thick metal disc, spaced supports and tongues arranged in alternating succession at the periphery of the disc, relatively thin metal cushion members mounted on the supports, the cushion members and tongues beingcurved to offset parts thereof from the same side of thevldisc, and a friction facing arranged on the cushion members and tongues to cushion the engagementV thereof during operation of the clutch. A

2. A clutch plate comprising a disc. spaced supports and tongues arranged in alternating succession at the `periphery 'of the disc, curved cushion members on one side of the supports vwith the central portion of their convex sides in enga'gement with the supports, the tongues being curved in a direction opposite to the curvature of said cushion members and arranged with the central portions thereof spaced from the plane of the disc, anda friction facing arranged on the ends of the cushion members and central portion of the tongues to cushion the engagement thereof during operation of the clutch.

3. A clutch plate comprising a disc, spaced sup- This provides a ports and tongues arranged in alternating succession at the periphery of the disc, cushion members mounted on the supports, the cushion members and tongues being curved to oiset parts thereof from the same side of the disc, friction facings arranged on opposite sidesof the disc, means fastening one facing and the cushion members to the supports and on opposite sides thereof, and means fastening the other facing to the offset parts of the tongues to cushion the engagement thereof during operation of the clutch.

4. A clutch plate Acomprising a disc, spaced supports and tongues arranged in alternating succession at the periphery of the disc, curved cushion members arranged on one side of the supports, the tongues being bent from the plane of the disc on the side thereof having the cushion members thereon, and friction `facings arranged on opposite sides of the disc and one facing spaced therefrom by the tongues'and cushioned by the tongues and cushion members in engagement of the clutch plate during operation of the clutch.

5. A clutch plate comprising' a disc, friction facings arranged on opposite sides of the disc, curved cushion members on the disc andbetween the facings, means fastening the vcushion members to the disc to dispose the central portion of the convex side in engagement with the disc, and means on the cushion members engaging the disc to retain the cushion members in'position, said means including portions of the cushion members extending outwardly therefrom in the i direction of the disc and engageable with the disc at a point spaced away from said fastening`4V means.

6. A clutch plate comprising a disc havingLk openings therein, friction facings arrangedcnI opposite sides of the disc, curved cushion mem-YQ i bers on the disc and between the facings, means fastening the cushion `members to the discl to dispose the central portionof the convex side in engagement with the disc, anda lip struck from the convex side of each cushion member and extending into an opening in the disc to engage the disc for holding the cushion member against movement about the fastening means;

'7. A clutch plate comprising a disc', supports and tongues arranged in alternating succession at the periphery of the disc, curved cushion members mounted on the supports, and friction facings on opposite sides of the disc, one facing being in engagement with the supports and the other facing in engagement with the ends of the curved cushion members, the tongues being curved to offset the central portion on one side'of the plane of the disc and in engagement with said other facing and the free end thereof being curved back toward the plane of the disc but not thereinto to provide a cushion which acts in stages during of vsaid cushionmembers being cylindrical and `each generated about an axis that is so disposed `that when the 'cushionsare compressed the conl tactng area'. between the cushions and the adjacent facing surface increases in a radial direction, and means forming a part of the cushion members and engageable with the disc for restraining the cushion members against rotation about the axis of their securing means.

9. A clutch plate comprising a relatively heavy sheet metal disc, relatively rigid friction facings arranged one on each side of said disc at the peripheral portion thereof, and a plurality of structurally independent and relatively light cushion members arranged about said peripheral portion of said disc. means iixing each of said 10 cushion members securely to said disc, said cushion members having portions extending away from said disc in the direction of the adjacent facing and adapted to contact the inner surface of the facing, each of said cushion members being so formed that when compressed, as by movement of the adjacent facing relatively toward the cushion. the area of contact between the cushion and facing will increase in a direction radially of the axis of the facing and disc.

- DAVID E..GAMBLE. 

